This application claims benefit of Japanese Application No.2000-111041 filed in Japan on Apr. 12, 2000, the contents of which are incorporated by this reference.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns a camera for both silver-salt photography and electronic image pickup, having the functions of both an electronic image pickup device which has an electronic image pickup element to convert the object image into electrical signals, and of a silver-salt photography device which transfers the object image to silver-salt film.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the prior art, cameras for both silver-salt photography and electronic image pickup have been utilized, having the functions of both an an electronic image pickup device which has an electronic image pickup element to convert the object image into electrical signals, and of a silver-salt photography device which transfers the object image to silver-salt film.
This type of camera generally exposes the silver-salt film to the object image, simultaneously storing in memory electronic image signals which are photoelectrically converted by the above electronic image pickup element, and displays on a monitor the object image based on the stored electronic image signals, thereby enabling display for the purpose of verification of the result at the time of photography, which is not possible using conventional silver-salt cameras. That is, the result can be confirmed through monitor display at the time of photography without development, to confirm that the image has been photographed on film according to the photographer""s intention; this is an extremely convenient function for the photographer, and is effective with respect to reliability of the photographic process.
One such camera is the camera for both silver-salt photography and electronic image pickup (also called a xe2x80x9chybrid cameraxe2x80x9d) proposed by the present applicant in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 10-104736.
The camera for both silver-salt photography and electronic image pickup of this proposal comprises signal processing means to perform signal processing of electronic image signals photoelectrically converted by the above electronic image pickup element, and of electronic image signals read from memory, and which controls monitor display by using the signal processing means to perform mask processing or enlargement processing of electronic image signals for monitor display after photography, for example, such that the size and shape match those of the silver-salt photography image.
However, accompanying trends toward multi-functionality of recent years, some of the above cameras are equipped with electronic zoom functions enabling the optical or electronic enlargement or reduction of the object image. Without moving, the photographer can view the object to be photographed in the optical view-finder, enlarged to a desired size, and after displaying the object on a monitor for confirmation using the electronic zoom function, can expose the silver-salt film to the object image at that size to take the photograph.
However, in the camera for both silver-salt photography and for electronic image pickup described in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 10-104736, when the electronic zoom function is used in photography, if the zoom factor in the silver-salt system zoom optical mechanism is high, the enlargement factor for the electronic image is also high, so that as a result there is the problem that the image displayed on the monitor becomes coarse and is difficult to view.
This invention was devised in light of the above problem, and has as one object the provision of a camera for both silver-salt photography and for electronic image pickup in which, during photography using the electronic zoom function, the image displayed on the monitor does not become coarse even when the zoom factor of the silver-salt system zoom optical mechanism is high, so that satisfactory displayed images can be obtained.
A camera of this invention has a zoom optical system to focus the object image on silver-salt film, an image pickup element for pickup of the electronic image of the object, and an image pickup optical system to focus the object image on the image pickup element. This image pickup optical system is provided separately from the zoom optical system, and has an angle of view which covers the broadest photography angle of view of the zoom optical system. Further, the above camera has memory to store image data for an image capture bounding frame, a signal processing circuit to merge the electronic image captured by the image capture element and the image data of the image capture bounding frame stored in memory, and a monitor device to display the electronic image merged by the signal processing circuit. Moreover, the signal processing circuit merges the data after enlarging the electronic image by a prescribed factor based on the focal length of the zoom optical system, and reduces the image data of the image capture bounding frame by a prescribed factor.
A camera of this invention has a zoom optical system to focus the object image on the silver-salt film of the silver- salt photography means, and an image pickup optical system to focus the object image on the image pickup element. The image pickup optical system is provided separately from the zoom optical system, and has an angle of view which covers the broadest image capture angle of view of the above zoom optical system. Further, the above camera has a signal processing circuit which enlarges the electronic image captured by the image capture element according to the focal length of the zoom optical system, and merges a frame indicating the image capture range with this enlarged electronic image, as well as a monitor to display the electronic image processed by this signal processing circuit. The size of the frame indicating the image capture range in the electronic image merged by the signal processing circuit is substantially equal to the image capture range of the above silver-salt photography means.
A camera of this invention has a zoom optical system to focus the object image on silver-salt film, and an image pickup optical system to focus the object image on the image pickup element. The image pickup optical system is provided separately from the zoom optical system, and has an angle of view which covers the broadest photography angle of view of the zoom optical system. The above camera further has a signal processing circuit which enlarges the electronic image captured by the image pickup element according to the zoom factor of the zoom optical system, and a monitor device which displays the electronic image enlarged by the signal processing circuit, and also displays, on the displayed image, an image capture bounding frame of size substantially equal to the object image focused on the silver-salt film.
A camera of this invention has a photography optical system, the focal length of which is variable, for exposure of silver-salt film to an object image; an optical view-finder having a visual field substantially equal to the photographic angle of view of the photography optical system; an image pickup optical system, provided separately from the photography optical system, to capture the above object image by an electronic image pickup element; a monitor device to display the electronic image captured by the image pickup element; and a signal processing circuit to control the monitor device. The signal processing circuit enlarges and displays the electronic image at an enlargement factor according to the focal length of the photography optical system, and controls the monitor device so as to display a bounding frame, substantially equal to the visual field of the optical view-finder, superimposed on the displayed image.
A camera of this invention has silver-salt photography means, including a photography optical system with variable focal length, to transfer an object image to silver-salt film; electronic image pickup means, including an image pickup optical system having an angle of view which includes the photographic angle of view of the silver-salt photography means, to capture and convert into an electronic image the object image; electronic zoom means to enlarge by a prescribed enlargement factor the electronic image captured by the electronic image pickup means, based on the focal length of the photography optical system; and display means to display the electronic image enlarged by the electronic zoom means, and to display in superimposition a frame indicating the photographic angle of view of the silver-salt photography means, according to the enlargement factor of the photography optical system and the enlargement factor of the electronic zoom means.
A camera of this invention has electronic image capture means to capture and convert into an electronic image the object image; silver-salt photography means to transfer the object image to silver-salt film; an optical view-finder having a visual field substantially equal to the photographic angle of view of the silver-salt photography means; electronic zoom means to enlarge by a prescribed factor a captured electronic image; image capture bounding frame generation means to generate an image capture bounding frame of a prescribed size; image merging means to merge the electronic image output from the electronic zoom means and the bounding frame output from the image capture bounding frame means; and a monitor to display the electronic image output from the image merging means; and which is set such that the size of the image capture bounding frame in the merged electronic image which is displayed on the monitor is substantially equal to the visual field of the optical view-finder.
A camera of this invention has silver-salt photography means, including a photography optical system with variable focal length, to transfer the object image to silver-salt film via the photography optical system; electronic image capture means, including an image capture optical system separate from the silver-salt photography means, having an image capture range which is broader than the image capture range of the silver-salt photography means; and display means to display on a monitor screen the electronic image captured by the electronic image capture means; and, in which the display means displays a bounding frame equal to the image capture range of the silver-salt photography means, superimposed on the displayed image.
A camera of this invention has silver-salt photography means, including a photography optical system with variable focal length, to transfer the object image to silver-salt film via the photography optical system; an optical view-finder having a visual field substantially equal to the silver-salt photography means; electronic image capture means, including an image capture optical system separate from the photography optical system, and having an image capture range broader than the image capture range of the silver-salt photography means; and display means to display on a monitor screen the electronic image captured by the electronic image capture means; and, in which the display means displays a bounding frame equal to the visual field of the optical view-finder, superimposed on the displayed image.